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GCN Home > 07/07/03 issue

The heat is on dubious degrees

By Patience Wait and Wilson P. Dizard III, Post Newsweek Tech Media

Meanwhile, more than 50 found to have iffy credentials

As Congress turns up the heat on federal workers’ use of academic degrees from unaccredited institutions, research conducted by Post Newsweek Tech Media publications has uncovered questionable credentials for more than 50 officials in IT-related jobs in government or with federal contractors.

The investigation—by GCN and sister publication Washington Technology—and congressional focus followed the discovery that Laura Callahan, senior director in the Homeland Sec
Sen. Susan Collins
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Sen. Susan Collins asked GAO to investigate ‘coin-operated’ colleges.
urity Department CIO’s Office, had obtained bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees from Hamilton University, an unaccredited school in Evanston, Wyo., that requires scant academic work. DHS placed Callahan on administrative leave June 5 and is investigating her credentials.

In the wake of the news of Callahan’s degrees, two lawmakers have requested General Accounting Office investigations into diploma mills. In one of them, Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), chairwoman of the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee, asked GAO to investigate the use of diploma mill degrees and credentials by federal employees, including whether the federal government has paid for these degrees.

Collins said the investigation will follow up an earlier GAO study on diploma mills she had requested. It “reflects the need to determine the prevalence of this practice and whether steps need to be taken to shut down these ‘coin-operated colleges,’ ” she said.

Rep. Tom Davis (R-Va.), chairman of the House Government Reform Committee, said he was disturbed to learn that the Labor Department, where Callahan previously worked, knew of her suspect credentials but took no action before she transferred to DHS.

The Office of Personnel Management told Labor that Callahan had received academic degrees from an unaccredited institution, Davis said in a letter sent June 26 to Clark Kent Ervin, DHS inspector general. Ervin’s office is investigating the matter, and Davis asked for a full report on the IG’s findings.

Mail-order mills

In a separate request to GAO, Davis asked the auditing agency to look into how federal agencies ensure that employees who have been promoted on the strength of their educational credentials earned their degrees from accredited institutions.

More news on related topics: IT Management, COOP / Telework